SOMERSWORTH — The Somersworth High School football team forced overtime Friday night in a game that looked like it was over early in the third quarter.

Although the Hilltoppers hung around, Bow hung on for a 33-27 win in Division III.

Trailing 27-7 with 8:13 remaining in the third, Somersworth rallied to tie the game on a 6-yard run by Elyjah Dejoie as time expired.

Bow blocked the extra-point attempt to send the game into OT. The Hilltoppers had the ball first at the 10-yard line, but failed to score in four tries.

Christopher Robbins scored on a 7-yard run on Bow’s first possession to win it for the Falcons (6-1).

“I told them at the beginning of the game that adversity was going to hit in this game,” said Somersworth coach Dan Hodsdon. “It was going to be a matter of how we were going to respond to it. In the first half we didn’t respond very well, but in the second half we came out and played a much better football game.”

The loss overshadowed a superb effort by Dejoie, who rushed for 317 yards on 29 carries and three touchdowns.

Somersworth dropped to 3-4 with its second straight loss. Despite being out of the playoff picture, the Hilltoppers showed a lot of resolve, despite the 20-point deficit.

“This is the first time we’ve ever beaten Somersworth at their home field,” said Bow coach Paul Cohen. “It was a game full of emotion.”

The game also featured a personal duel between Dejoie and Bow’s Matt Ehrenberg. Dejoie scored three of Somersworth’s four touchdowns, including runs of 65 and 90 yards to ignite the Hilltoppers’ comeback.

Ehrenberg also scored three TDs during regulation on runs of 54, 55 and 24 yards, and set up a fourth with a long kick return. He gained 233 yards on the ground in 24 attempts.

“One kid would break a long run and the other one responded,” Hodsdon said. “There’s a lot of talent there. They had a good battle all night.”

After Ehrenberg put the Falcons up 27-7 with his 24-yard TD run, Dejoie responded on the Hilltoppers’ next play from scrimmage with a 65-yarder.

Dejoie’s performance on offense seemed to inspire the defense as the Hilltoppers got back into the game with back-to-back stops, including a goal-line stand.

After Somersworth took over on downs at its own 17, Dejoie scored two plays later from 90 yards to make it 27-21 with 7:43 left.

“It doesn’t matter if we make the playoffs or not, we knew that we could beat this team,” Dejoie said. “We got together as a group and we just told ourselves that we were coming back.”

The Hilltoppers got the ball back at their own 38 after another defensive stop. With Dejoie doing most of the work, they drove to the Bow 6 with less than a minute remaining in the fourth quarter.

“They stung us hard and often,” Cohen said. “Fortunately, we were able to hang on.”

Bow pushed the Hilltoppers back to the 12 on their first two plays, and two passes by quarterback Mike Paquette fell incomplete with four seconds to play.

But on the second one — intended for Matt Menz in the end zone — the Falcons were called for roughing the passer.

Somersworth made the most of its reprieve when Dejoie scored from 6 yards out on a sweep left to tie the game.

Matt Menz scored the Hilltoppers’ first touchdown on a 2-yard run midway through the second quarter to make it 7-7.

Bow responded with 20 unanswered points, setting the stage for an exciting finish

“It’s disappointing,” Dejoie said, “but the way we came back is gratifying.”